Chemometric evaluation of 16 priority PAHs in soil and roots of Syringa vulgaris and Ficus carica from the Bor region (Serbia): An insight into the natural plant potentials for soil biomonitoring and phytoremediation

In this work, soil biomonitoring, and phytoremediation potentials of Syringa vulgaris, and Ficus carica were evaluated regarding 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using a modern chemometric approach and calculating the accumulation rates (i.e., bioconcentration factors, BCFs) for each individual PAH compound in plants roots from each location. Soil and root samples were collected from nine locations in the Bor region (Serbia) and PAHs were isolated using QuEChERS (Quick, Effective, Cheap, Easy, Rugged, Safe) method with some new modifications; their concentrations were detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results were processed using Pearson's correlation analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and BCFs. Several central conclusions are: each plant species developed its own, a specific capability for individual PAH managing; only in the case of benzo(a)pyrene and chrysene, both plants developed a similar tactic, i.e. a total avoiding of assimilation (probably due to their high toxicity); both plants detained significant quantities of different PAHs in their roots, which further can recommend them for the restriction of PAH spreading in the soil, i.e., in PAH phytostabilization (particularly for fluorene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and benzo(k)fluoranthene); in soil biomonitoring, both plantscannot be so helpful because their roots cannot reflect an actual situation in the soil; soil analysis gives a more safe insight into the current pollution level, as well as into the possible regional generators of PAH.